Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy composites
Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are widely employed in the marine sector for ship hulls and other structures. But, like other fiber composite systems, they are vulnerable to water degradation. This study examines the influence of seawater aging on glass fiber/epoxy composites reinfo...
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425013602 |
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| author | S. Thiru M. Megahed Amr Seif D.A. Hegazy Amira S. Sakr Abdel-Halim Saber Salem Said A.M. Sadoun Mashhour A. Alazwari Waleed Mohammed Abdelfattah I.M.R. Najjar |
| author_facet | S. Thiru M. Megahed Amr Seif D.A. Hegazy Amira S. Sakr Abdel-Halim Saber Salem Said A.M. Sadoun Mashhour A. Alazwari Waleed Mohammed Abdelfattah I.M.R. Najjar |
| author_sort | S. Thiru |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are widely employed in the marine sector for ship hulls and other structures. But, like other fiber composite systems, they are vulnerable to water degradation. This study examines the influence of seawater aging on glass fiber/epoxy composites reinforced with aluminum (Al), copper (Cu) nanoparticles, and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). Unlike other research that only examines dry conditions, this study offers a comparative evaluation of performance under prolonged seawater aging. Utilizing the ultrasonic processor, a mixture of 0.5 % nanofillers and epoxy resin was mixed. The hand layup technique was adopted for composites manufacturing. The effects of these nanofillers on hardness, impact, water absorption, and wear resistance were examined in both the untreated and treated states. Compared to control specimens, they exhibited enhanced long-term performance. Cu-filled composites provided improved wear resistance and hardness (40.9 % untreated, 26.4 % treated). The impact strength of GNP-reinforced composites was superior, enhanced by 74.7 % (untreated) and 80.28 % (treated), and they also reduced water absorption. From multi-criteria optimization, Cu-filled composite was the optimal choice, followed by GNPs, revealing the potential of nanofillers to enhance composite durability for maritime applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce19413e6ff14757a3b88bd13efb09b8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2238-7854 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce19413e6ff14757a3b88bd13efb09b82025-08-20T03:05:21ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-05-01369713972510.1016/j.jmrt.2025.05.204Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy compositesS. Thiru0M. Megahed1Amr Seif2D.A. Hegazy3Amira S. Sakr4Abdel-Halim Saber Salem Said5A.M. Sadoun6Mashhour A. Alazwari7Waleed Mohammed Abdelfattah8I.M.R. Najjar9Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding author.Mechanical Design and Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, P. O. box: 44519, Zagazig, Al-Sharqia, EgyptMechanical Design and Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, P. O. box: 44519, Zagazig, Al-Sharqia, Egypt; Corresponding author.Bilbeis Higher Institute of Engineering (BHIE), Bilbeis, Sharqia, EgyptMaterials Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, EgyptDepartment of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi ArabiaMechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; Mechanical Design and Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, P. O. box: 44519, Zagazig, Al-Sharqia, EgyptMechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Engineering, University of Business and Technology, Jeddah, 23435, Saudi ArabiaMechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi ArabiaGlass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are widely employed in the marine sector for ship hulls and other structures. But, like other fiber composite systems, they are vulnerable to water degradation. This study examines the influence of seawater aging on glass fiber/epoxy composites reinforced with aluminum (Al), copper (Cu) nanoparticles, and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). Unlike other research that only examines dry conditions, this study offers a comparative evaluation of performance under prolonged seawater aging. Utilizing the ultrasonic processor, a mixture of 0.5 % nanofillers and epoxy resin was mixed. The hand layup technique was adopted for composites manufacturing. The effects of these nanofillers on hardness, impact, water absorption, and wear resistance were examined in both the untreated and treated states. Compared to control specimens, they exhibited enhanced long-term performance. Cu-filled composites provided improved wear resistance and hardness (40.9 % untreated, 26.4 % treated). The impact strength of GNP-reinforced composites was superior, enhanced by 74.7 % (untreated) and 80.28 % (treated), and they also reduced water absorption. From multi-criteria optimization, Cu-filled composite was the optimal choice, followed by GNPs, revealing the potential of nanofillers to enhance composite durability for maritime applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425013602NanocompositesWater uptakeSalt waterSurface hardnessImpactWear resistance |
| spellingShingle | S. Thiru M. Megahed Amr Seif D.A. Hegazy Amira S. Sakr Abdel-Halim Saber Salem Said A.M. Sadoun Mashhour A. Alazwari Waleed Mohammed Abdelfattah I.M.R. Najjar Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy composites Journal of Materials Research and Technology Nanocomposites Water uptake Salt water Surface hardness Impact Wear resistance |
| title | Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy composites |
| title_full | Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy composites |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy composites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy composites |
| title_short | Enhancing marine composite performance: The role of Cu, Al, and graphene nanofillers in seawater-aged glass fiber epoxy composites |
| title_sort | enhancing marine composite performance the role of cu al and graphene nanofillers in seawater aged glass fiber epoxy composites |
| topic | Nanocomposites Water uptake Salt water Surface hardness Impact Wear resistance |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425013602 |
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